Grants and Contributions:

Speech generation for indigenous language education

994966

$181,250.00

Aug 15, 2022 - Aug 14, 2025

We will create a text-to-speech (TTS) synthesizer and verb conjugator for nêhiyawêwin (Plains Cree). The development of a software-based verb conjugator for nêhiyawêwin represents an opportunity to develop a resource that encompasses significant role in filling the gap in the availability/accessibility of language resources that are suited to the structure of nêhiyawêwin. The development of a TTS synthesizer will be integrated with the verb conjugator and will similarly fill a gap in the availability/accessibility of resources. TTS synthesis is valuable in this context because it will provide learners access to standard pronunciation of words in environments where immediate access to a fluent speaker may be difficult. Because of the polysynthetic nature of nêhiyawêwin, it is impossible to create separate recordings of every word, whereas appropriately designed TTS can produce audio for any word the verb conjugator can generate. The development of a software-based verb conjugator for nêhiyawêwin represents an opportunity to develop a resource that encompasses significant role in filling the gap in the availability/accessibility of language resources that are suited to the structure of nêhiyawêwin. The development of a TTS synthesizer will be integrated with the verb conjugator and will similarly fill a gap in the availability/accessibility of resources. TTS synthesis is valuable in this context because it will provide learners access to standard pronunciation of words in environments where immediate access to a fluent speaker may be difficult. Because of the polysynthetic nature of nêhiyawêwin, it is impossible to create separate recordings of every word, whereas appropriately designed TTS can produce audio for any word the verb conjugator can generate. We will create a text-to-speech (TTS) synthesizer and verb conjugator for nêhiyawêwin (Plains Cree). The development of a software-based verb conjugator for nêhiyawêwin represents an opportunity to develop a resource that encompasses significant role in filling the gap in the availability/accessibility of language resources that are suited to the structure of nêhiyawêwin. The development of a TTS synthesizer will be integrated with the verb conjugator and will similarly fill a gap in the availability/accessibility of resources. TTS synthesis is valuable in this context because it will provide learners access to standard pronunciation of words in environments where immediate access to a fluent speaker may be difficult. Because of the polysynthetic nature of nêhiyawêwin, it is impossible to create separate recordings of every word, whereas appropriately designed TTS can produce audio for any word the verb conjugator can generate.

National Research Council Canada

In the short term, anticipated outcomes will be strengthened collaborations across industry, academia, and government to support research excellence. In the medium term, anticipated outcomes will be the development of new and potentially disruptive technologies with collaborators. In the long term, find collaborative solutions to public policy challenges and create stronger innovation systems.

St. Pauls, Alberta, CA T0A 3A0

172-2022-2023-Q2-994966

Grant

Grants and Contributions

138003231

Academia

University nuhelot’įne thaiyots’į nistameyimâkanak Blue Quills (UnBQ)

Battle River--Crowfoot

48025

Collaborative Science, Technology and Innovation Program – Ideation Fund

The Ideation Fund is intended to encourage, test and validate transformative research ideas generated by teams of NRC scientific personnel and external collaborators with complementary capabilities, acting as a demonstration phase for a continually-evolving suite of research and development (R&D) deliverables at the NRC. The fund supports exploratory research through two mechanisms: the New Beginnings Initiative and the Small Teams Initiative.

541710